Drawbacks: Along with the wet sock method, this is my least favorite method for stretching a shoe. First, depending on the shoe lining, the starchy liquid of a potato could potentially ruin the lining and inside of the shoe. Also, like the ice method, the shoe is stretching arbitrarily. And it seems difficult to find a potato that can stretch a shoe to a predetermined size like a shoe stretcher. Because potatoes are thickest in the middle, it more difficult to stretch large areas of the shoe. Finally, nobody mentions the smell. Potatoes have an odor. You now will need another DIY method to remove the smell.

Bottom Line: If you have a pair of shoes that needs to be widened in one particular spot and you can find a potato half a size wider than your foot, AND you are not concerned about the inside of the shoe, then this method is for you.